Friday, December 10, 2010

The Peter Read Method

In October 1995, Vancouver life model Peter Read penned “One View From the Model Stand” . It was done as a guide to life modeling as part of the “Nude for Love” drawing event held that year. In it, Peter wrote about stillness, attitude, props, pose selection, dangers, and preparation. He shares numerous practical suggestions and insights from the wealth from his 25 years of modeling experience .

I used his methods to guide me as a beginner and I continue to use them today. I’d like to share a sample of his writing titled “Which Pose Now” from One View from the Model Stand.

Right from first pose in multi-pose drawing session … begin computing each artists viewpoints of presented body.

For any reason establish first pose.

Second pose torso is then right angles to first pose and on different level: stand, squat, kneel, sit, floor, sit stool, reclines: – supine or prone.

3rd pose is then right angles to 2nd and different from both previous.

What has that artist seen before in this session of my body direction, level, twists, negative spaces, hand and foot and head angles? What about a crawl pose wth head relaxed?

Within direction, level and special requirements already decided before getting into next pose,— once doing them — feel where body really wants to go now within set limitations.

To get a really relaxed pose – do a high tension one beforehand. Experience will teach what level of tension can be taken in each time slot: 1,2,3,5,10,15 and 30 minute poses.

By establishing your first pose “for any reason”, and then doing quarter turns, varying your body levels, relationships and shapes, while feeling where your body wants to go next, and considering various artist viewpoints, the answer to; “Which pose now?” becomes self evident each time … except of course, for that first pose.